The Vodacom Bulls clinched a top-two spot in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship with a 26-14 victory over the Hollywoodbets Sharks in Durban.
Despite missing key players like Springboks Lukhanyo Am and Eben Etzebeth due to injuries, and playing only eight days after their European Challenge Cup triumph in London, the hosts remained competitive throughout the match.
Akker van der Merwe was pivotal for the Bulls, scoring twice, with his second try securing a possible top-of-the-table finish.
In the game, an ambitious long line-out didn’t reach its intended recipient but fortuitously ended up with Siya Masuku, who scored the first try and converted it himself.
The Bulls displayed a fluid style of play, driven by Embrose Papier and Willie le Roux, who orchestrated the setup for David Kriel’s opening try.
Although less visually impressive, Johan Grobbelaar’s finish from a maul—converted by Johan Goosen—followed some excellent play, notably Le Roux and Kurt-Lee Arendse’s dashes into open space.
At halftime, the Sharks were down 12-7. They intensely defended against a third Bulls try right after the break, with Aphelele Fassi notably intercepting Canan Moodie.
The Sharks’ Vincent Tshituka received a yellow card for deliberately slowing the game, which increased the pressure on the Sharks, eventually leading to van der Merwe’s pick-and-go try, again converted by Goosen.
Despite their URC season being over, the Sharks showed commendable resilience. In the third quarter, they accelerated their efforts, resulting in Dylan Richardson scoring a try and Masuku successfully converting it.
The Bulls faced challenges from numerous handling errors but secured a bonus point in the closing minutes through van der Merwe’s try, which Chris Smith converted.
Elrigh Louw was named Vodacom Man of the Match for his powerful and effective play, which significantly contributed to the Bulls’ bonus-point victory and bolstered his prospects for the Springboks.
With just three minutes to go, the Bulls were at risk of missing the bonus point needed to enhance their victory. However, their forward pack took control, with one powerful maul leading to another, culminating in van der Merwe’s try that ended the Sharks’ comeback.
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